During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CTengage students during the opening of the lesson?
My first observation at Coventry High School was middle-level Chemistry with Mrs. Sullivan. Before class even began, Mrs. Sullivan stood outside the classroom and greeted her students as they entered. One student came in, dropped off his things at his desk, then went to the door and talked with Mrs. Sullivan for a few minutes. She started establishing order right as the bell rang. The morning announcements over the loud speaker allowed her time to take attendance and pass out policies to the class. To begin class, Mrs. Sullivan writes the objectives for the period on the black board and briefly summarizes each one. The first three objectives are mainly book keeping items while the fourth objective is the introduction of the topic of Matter. To start this lesson, Mrs. Sullivan begins a question and answer session with the students about Atoms, Ions, and Molecules. She takes a sample of copper sulfate and asks if it is a compound or an element.
The next class I observed was an AP Chemistry class taught by Dr. Pothier. She was in the classroom before the class began and she was talking with some students who arrived before the bell. As the last students entered the room, she invited them to share their thoughts on the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. She actually had the students begin their practice problems about 10 minutes into the start of the period. They got into groups and worked on answering the question packet.
I really liked how Mrs. Sullivan greeted her students and how Dr. Pothier began class with a discussion about current issues. Greeting the students makes them feel acknowledged, especially in a big school like Coventry High School. A discussion about current issues really gets students talking and also grabs their attention at the start of the lesson. What I would change in Mrs. Sullivan's lesson was the time she took to do the book keeping tasks. It seemed as though she spent more time on trivial things such as parents' signatures on policy handouts than the actual lesson. Once she started her discussion about atoms and molecules, she didn't have the students' interest. They had disengaged themselves in her talking long before the lesson came around. Maybe saving the policy and science fair talk for after the lesson, she could have had more success in keeping the students focused. In Dr. Pothier's class I definitely would have changed the timing as well. I would have left at least 10 minutes at the end of class to bring the students back together and go over the questions and the answers each group chose. This could act as a formative assessment instead of a packet that didn't seem to serve a purpose. Overall, I really enjoyed both of my CT's enthusiasm for their students and for teaching Chemistry. I was impressed with their knowledge of the subject and their knowledge of dealing appropriately with students.
I had a first meeting with my CT on Monday 27 September, but it was not during a class. We will try to arrange a class visit later in this week, but it may be the beginning of the next week.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson
First actual class observation is for Tuesday 5 October. I stayed from 0700 to 1300 for several classes, one chemistry and two sections of physics. The regular schedule was impacted by NECAP testing so some classes were longer or shorter than normal.
Teacher is at the front usually standing when students arrive, gives them a minute to find seats and gets right to business. He reviews homework, going over the whole assignment of problems, asking if anyone had a problem and needs to see it worked. If so he invites other students to give the solution. This goes pretty quickly.
Students are responsible for keeping their homework, and it is collected and reviewed at intervals. They are reminded that it is worth about a letter on their grade, so it is important to keep it in good order.
The emphasis seemed not on how many got things right or wrong, but on making sure everyone gets it before moving on to new work.
One class had a returned test, and he followed the same procedure. Since there was always someone who had it right, this also went quickly. Here too the emphais is on everyone getting it.
Discipline seems a non-issue; he is a coach for several sports, this turns out to be VERY GOOD because
when he tells the class to turn to page 37 or whatever, they all do it, at once. He expects nothing less, and none of them would dream of doing less.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
October 18, 2010 North Smithfield Middle School Mrs. Lynn Hannah
Observation
Mrs. Lynn Hannah is the 8th grade team leader, excluding her from a duty and advisory. However, during the every morning advisory lasting from 7:22 to 7:36 Mrs. Hannah is busy preparing for her day. During advisory on Monday, Mrs. Hannah was copying a few students lab reports that were going to be handed back in class later on. She explained to me that the lab reports were horrendous, so she was allowing the students to fix and resubmit their reports in one week under a few guidelines, one being that the original must be turned in. Therefore, she was photo copying a few students work because she knows she would get an excuse of "not giving it back to them" or "I lost it so what do I do now"? When advisory was nearing the end, Mrs. Hannah headed back to the room. As soon as the bell rang for students to change classes, Mrs. Hannah was by the door greeting students on their way in. I actually noticed that every teacher on the team was doing the same. Mrs. Hannah had her eyes in the hallway, but was still aware at all times of the students who had already entered the classroom, making sure they were taking their seats and getting out their notebooks to be ready to start class. The bell rang at 7:40 to begin first period and so did Mrs. Hannah. She wasted no time in getting the kids started in Monday's agenda.
Mrs. Hannah's way to kill two birds with one stone was to take attendance when she called on the students to bring up the weekends homework of "How Much Do I Weigh"? She explained to me that she has the students hand deliver all assignments now to avoid the excuse of "I put it right on your desk Mrs. Hannah, you must have lost it". Mrs. Hannah created a "Missing Homework Slip", that the students must fill out and hand in when their name is called if they do not have the assignment that is due. The slip requires: Name, Due Date, Period, Assignment (Specific), Why is this assignment missing, and What are you going to do to fix the problem? After the homework collection, Mrs. Hannah began the lesson with being relaxed, funny, and making appropriate jokes about the subject matter she was about to bring up. She explained to me before class that most of her students truly do care about their grades, so she was afraid of having some melt downs when the students received their lab reports back. She asked their students their favorite holiday, and right there almost every student starting shouting out, "Christmas! Hanukkah! Thanksgiving! St. Patty's Day!" It was easily noticeable that she had the student's attention at this point. So with the lab reports in hand, before giving them back, she told the students she is giving them an early Christmas/Hanukkah/Thanksgiving present and allowing resubmissions. Because she went about the bad grades in this way, she had the students cooperation and attention during the discussion of what they did wrong/good, what to do in the submission, the deadline, etc. Right from there, Mrs. Hannah began class, being on the "good side" of the students. They were attentive, interested, cooperative, and volunteered tremendously during the volume, mass, and weight activity.
Reflection
Many things jumped out at me while observing Mrs. Hannah's style of teaching. Firstly, I loved how she was greeting students from the hallway as they entered, but still had her head in the classroom managing the behavior of the students. Being in the classroom during this time, I saw how the students would behave without Mrs. Hannah in the room. But as soon as she poked her head around the corner and would simply say "Get your notebooks out, start copying down the daily objectives on the board. I want them done by the bell", students would immediately do as she said. It seemed she always had her classroom under control, but not in a bossy, intolerable way. Another aspect of Mrs. Hannah's teaching style that I liked, and will definitely have in my own classroom one day, were the homework slips. Mrs. Hannah showed me the folder of filled out homework slips from students and they were quite interesting. Yes, some students do not take them seriously and their answers of why their homework missing were quite comical, however, the point is they still had to fill them out. The slips made the students stop and think about their missing assignment and have to fill out, as some students say, an "annoying orange slip". Mrs. Hannah says she does not just do it for the students, but she does it for the parents as well. So when she gets a phone call from a parent saying, "Why does my son/daughter have a 50 in homework", she can go through her folder and take out the missing homework slips for that student and have it to show the parent. Thirdly, I liked how Mrs. Hannah opened her class. She says that the students love to talk about themselves, that is gets their attention and gets them talking as well, so she does things like this quite often. Literally as soon as she asked the students, "So what is your favorite holiday", all of them got excited and starting shouting theirs out. Mrs. Hannah explained to me that she knows it gets noisy when she does it like this, but it gets the students involved and interested in what she has to say, which is why she lets it go for a little bit, then calms them down.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
My CT was required to be out in the hall monitoring the students as they passed from one class to the next, the time alotted for this is 4min. While she was in the hall she would speak with the students both to correct their behavior but also to just say hi. After the final bell it took about 2-3min for class to start. During this time the CT was taking attendence while the students got out their books and settled down. During this particular class no homework was collected. She started the class by asking those students who had not finished the lab from the day before to begin working to finish it. While these students worked on their lab reports, the other students procedded to write down the daily objectives and begin work on 2 review worksheets. While the students were working she was walking around answering questions while also helping those students with their lab reports.
I feel that my CT made the most out of having to be in the halls before class started. She addressed students in a respectful manner and not always just to tell them they were doing something wrong. I think the only thing I would do differently would be to "try" and take attendence as the students entered so that when that bell rang I would be ready to start and also expect my students to be. I also feel that by allowing some of thge students extra time (unless it is specifically needed) is sending the wrong message to students and might lead to more and more students not finishing on time. Also the review worksheets I feel could have been done as honework and then use the class time to go over them. This would allow for more time to address topics that the students might be struggling with and also allow the teacher to become more engaged with the class.
Because Narragansett High School is fairly small, many students do not take the entire passing period to get to class. My CT uses the time in which students come in early to answer any quick questions or briefly engage them in light conversation. He focuses the conversation towards the students and what he knows about each individual, some having to do with a sport or club they are involved in, and others having to do with something else the student must have divulged to him earlier. Because he utilizes this extra time, order was established in his room about two minutes after the final bell rang.
In the particular block period that I observed, the class was starting a lab that they had been introduced to at the end of the previous class. My CT took a few minutes to refresh his students memories on what they were doing and by 5-8 minutes into the class students were settled and doing their work. Because it was important to get the students right into the lab to make sure they had time to do their presentations, he did not check homework until the end of the period. He went around to each student with his grade book and checked the work individually, with answers to be reviewed at the start of the next class.
Overall, I really enjoyed the lab that my teacher created to discuss the law. It went along with my belief that students cannot just memorize formulas, but should be able to apply and analyze them. His tactics in the beginning of the class of engaging students in conversation individually confirmed the opinions I already had on how important it is for teachers to take personal interest in their students’ lives. It is clear that they respect his interest which carries over to the time they spend in his class and is part of why he is able to get his group to settle down so quickly. As far as homework assessment, I will have to see if just checking that it is complete is the norm for the class or just because it was rushed. Remembering my own experiences from high school because there is writing on the page that looks like answers does not always mean that the assignment is complete. I also think that homework should be checked before the start of class because it usually has to do with a previous chapter and if there are questions they need to be answered before moving on to different or more difficult content.
I enjoyed the class that I observed immensely. I found that the time was broken down fairly within the block period, and the lab was extremely well thought out. I look forward to going back and observing more lessons and learn more about the breakdown of class time and room management.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson? Observation: At North Kingstown, I am being given a very unique opportunity: to observe two chemistry teachers with completely opposite teaching styles. Mr. Viner is very laid back while Mrs. Crescenzo is much more strict and structured. I was able to observe the beginning of one of each of their classes while I was at North Kingstown High School on Thursday. Mr. Viner stood at the front of the class while students came in but he was busy organizing his materials. Students filtered in, chatting with each other, moving seats around, and asking to go to the bathroom or to their locker. After about two or three minutes, Mr. Viner begins the class. He asks students to take out a density worksheet that they completed earlier in the week. Since he would be giving the class a test during this period, he took the first twenty minutes to review the worksheet, do a few practice problems, and answer any questions. Mrs. Crescenzo’s class began quite differently. The students walked in and sat in their assigned seats. As students filtered in, she reminded them to put their homework assignments on her desk. One student asked if he could go to his locker because he brought the wrong book and she firmly said that locker passes were against her beliefs and he would have to share with the person next to him. Once the bell rang, she immediately began her lesson, a new chapter on energy and matter. She started by talking about the Hoover Dam and how it generates electricity and asked the students to share what they know about the dam, electricity, and energy. Next, in order to capture their attention she demonstrated potential energy and kinetic energy using a little toy woodpecker going down a tree. Reflection: ** After witnessing both classes, it is obvious that Mr. Viner and Mrs. Crescenzo have very different teaching styles and approaches. They are complete opposites from one another, so I think I will be able to learn a lot by watching how each teacher handles situations and how they run their classrooms. Mrs. Crescenzo does not waste any time with checking homework, she just collects it and jumps right into the lesson. Mr. Viner gives the students a little less structured, more laid back start to class. Even though both teachers have different approaches, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the students in both classes were respectful, attentive, and on task as soon their teacher started class. I think this shows that my CTs have established clear classroom expectations and they have gained their students respect very early on in the school year. I like how Mrs. Crescenzo engaged her students by using a real life example of energy and also captured her students’ attention by a very simple demonstration in the front of the class. Mr. Viner did a good job of getting his students ready for the test and getting their brains working in preparation for the test. I think this a better method than just handing students the test when they walk in the door.
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
Observation:
Before class began, my CT was setting up a projector which she would be using later during the class to show a video of an octopus camouflaging itself as seaweed. She wanted a quick transition between talking about the subject and showing the example and . When the students began to line up at the door during the interchange between classes, the teacher stopped what she was doing and went to the door and greeted them. She told them to come in and addressed the students by name as they walked into the classroom. While they are walking into the classroom, the teacher instructed the students to grab a "science starter". Once most of the students were in the classroom , she reassured them that the science starter would not be counted for credit and that she just wanted them to try the questions about graphing. During last weeks observations, the students took a faux quiz, if the students received a 100 as a grade then the quiz was counted as a real quiz and they did not have to take the "real" quiz during the next class. This is why I assumed she reassured the students this would not be a grade and that she just wanted to know what they knew about the topic. After the students did the "science starter" the teacher discussed the answers with the children. She did not give the students answers but used questioning to guide the students toward the answers.
No homework was collected next. The teacher revisited the topic of evaluating a scientific claim. She introduced the topic by making connections back to a previous in class activity in which they made claims, stated the evidence to support the claim and explained a reason . After she made connections she explained to the students that they were going to be assessed on the evaluation for a claim, and that it was going to be a year goal for everyone to be proficient on the topic. She handed out a rubric and did another in class example using graphical data to make a claim and evaluate it.
Reflection:
My CT got the students right into working as soon as they came into class. She starts every class with a "science starter". I like the use of the "science starter" and would be interested in using a version of that in my classroom. I think it helps to transition the students from another class to science. I like that it requires the students to think critically without being graded. It is also a tool that I could use as a beginning teacher to assess the information the students are retaining for the lessons that are being taught in class. I thought giving the students the oppertunity to not have to take the in-class quiz if they had already received 100 was a great idea. If the students know the information they would not be bored taking a quiz on the same information again and if they did not recieve a 100 they could be motivated to study more in order to not have to take the quiz. The teacher never gave the students the answer when they were discussing and instead used questioning to encourage students to think about and discover the answer. I consider this one of the best methods, but not the only, to guide the student to discovering the answer for themselves. During our in-class conversation of Image of Teaching, we discussed the role of the teacher as a helpful hand in the learning process. I think my CT was exemplifying this concept in her teaching. I would like to be this kid of teacher to my students when I teach. I would like to be a teacher that fosters learning andnot one that just dictates the answers to problems
My CT was practicing for a year long goal that all of the science classes had for their students. The goal is for the students to know how to make a scientific claim. I like that the Ct gave the students a rubric which explained what they wanted the students to know. I thought the rubric was necessary and that the teacher gave the rubric out at a good time. Before they practiced with the assignment. While they did the class assignment the teacher would make reference to the rubric and tell the students what kind of grade they would get for their answers. I liked that the teacher modeled how to use the rubric, and I would like to do this for my students in the future in order to make the expectations that are asked of them are clear.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
It is difficult to observe yourself but I will do my best to describe what I do at the beginning of each class. The following represents my actions leading up to the beginning of the lesson for a ninth grade Biology class.
Observations: When the bell rings, I open my door to allow the current class to exit. I then prop open the door with a doorstop and stand far enough away from the door to allow students to enter, yet close enough to see inside the classroom. As students approach I greet them by shaking hands, fist bumping or just saying good morning as they enter. I will also make eye contact and exchange pleasantries with students who are just passing in route to other classes. The hallway usually clears a minute or two before the next bell rings; at that point I will close the door and a take up a position in front of the class.
When the bell rings, I ask the students to find their seats and prepare themselves to begin class. I will stand quietly and look out over the class as the students settle in and when I have their attention I ask them to pass forward their homework assignments. While they shuffle papers I take out my class folder and randomly select three students to return any assignments that I have previously collected and graded. I will give each of the selected students about 1/3 of the returns and tell them to "make some friends" as they return the graded assignments.
Once the paper shuffle is complete I will again ask the students for their attention and begin with a question like "Does anyone have any questions from last night's fifteen minutes of fun?"* Typically, a student will raise a hand and ask for clarification on something that we discussed in class the previous day. The lesson has begun.
Reflections:
Greeting students at the door, sets a welcoming tone for the class and gives me a chance to read faces as students enter the class. I can usually tell if a student needs uplifting or appears troubled, and it gives me a chance to ask if they need help or if we need to resolve a problem before we begin class. Exchanging pleasantries tells students that I am "on their side" and gives them an opportunity to ask me any questions that they my have prior to the initiation of the lesson. The most important piece of this simple activity is that it helps to build relationships and supports the exchange of information on a one to one basis.
The paper shuffle usually takes 3-5 minutes and apparently steals some valuable class time. Perhaps when I become more acquainted with the electronic media I will be able to eliminate some paper and steal time back.
*What I call fifteen minutes of fun refers to a standing homework assignment that asks students to review each day's activities, write down any questions that they may have and bring them to class for clarification. This strategy serves to get some students to spend time reinforcing the lesson and gives me an opportunity to reactivate knowledge on a daily basis. As each class ends, I remind the students to remember their fifteen minutes of fun tonight!
My CT always writes the agenda for the day on the board along with a few steps of directions that the students should begin following as soon as they come in the room. Today I observed the first class of the day, so the CT was still writing directions as the students came in. She greeted most of them and reminded them to look at the agenda and the beginning directions on the board. The students were to take out their homework and put it on the corner of their desks, take out their moon phase flashcards, and begin quizzing their neighbor. She gives the students about 15 minutes for the opening activity. After about 10 minutes, she starts walking around the classroom checking homework. If she sees any clear mistakes in the homework, she tells the student and allows them to fix it to receive more points. At the end of the 15 minutes, my CT reviews the homework by asking for volunteers to give their answers, and then collects it. She then starts the lesson by reviewing what they learned about the Earth and the moon the day before and then jumps into reading about the tides from the textbook.
The way my CT begins her class is an effective way to get students on task right away. The CT keeps the students busy throughout the whole class period so they never have a chance to get distracted with something other than science. Every student knows to look at the board as soon as they come in and take out their homework. My CT says that she usually makes the opening activity cooperative. The flashcard quizzing allows the students to get out some energy and talk to each other a bit. Reviewing previous material and activating prior knowledge before starting the lesson helps the CT make sure that all students are on the same page with the material. When she begins explaining the tides, she asks the students what they already know about tides from spending time at the beach. She corrects their misconceptions by having them read from the textbook as a class. She engaged them by relating the material to experiences the students have had.
I met my CT outside of the classroom, where he was standing and monitoring the hallway. Since it was right after lunch, he usually gave students a five-minute window at the beginning of class to use the lavatories or to go to their lockers. When we walked into the classroom, some students were already at their desks with their materials open while other students were socializing around the room. I noticed that today’s objective was posted on the whiteboard along with the homework assignment for tonight and the agenda for today. Also posted up on the smartboard was a “warm-up” assignment that was a review of the previous lesson. Once the students saw that my CT had entered the classroom, they took their seats and my CT asked them if they had their planners out and noticed what was written on the board. As the students copied down the homework assignment and worked on the warm-up, my CT walked around the room to check homework and attendance. After he had finished checking homework, he went over the warm-up activity and called on students to give answers. Because this class has many students with IEPs, there was a special education teacher (who actually happened to be a special ed sub today) in the class who told me that my CT was a really great role model because not many teachers keep students busy with a warm up activity while they check homework.
Reflection
By laying out the goals and plan for the day gives students the opportunity to know exactly what to expect each day, and that’s the main reason why my CT does that. Since the schedule is block periods, the class is really long and students easily get restless, but by having the agenda up on the board, I think it helps ease the length and gives students a plan that they can follow and can anticipate what will happen during the class time. This is a good method that I would like to use as well in my classroom. Another technique that my CT uses to start class off is the use of a warm up activity. While he went around checking homework, he was able to keep students engaged instead of having them sit and waste time. He demonstrated a great way to multitask and used class time appropriately. The start of class provides the pace for the rest of the class, and my CT has shown me some great ways to begin class and get students engaged, and keep them engaged.
Emily
My first observation at Coventry High School was middle-level Chemistry with Mrs. Sullivan. Before class even began, Mrs. Sullivan stood outside the classroom and greeted her students as they entered. One student came in, dropped off his things at his desk, then went to the door and talked with Mrs. Sullivan for a few minutes. She started establishing order right as the bell rang. The morning announcements over the loud speaker allowed her time to take attendance and pass out policies to the class. To begin class, Mrs. Sullivan writes the objectives for the period on the black board and briefly summarizes each one. The first three objectives are mainly book keeping items while the fourth objective is the introduction of the topic of Matter. To start this lesson, Mrs. Sullivan begins a question and answer session with the students about Atoms, Ions, and Molecules. She takes a sample of copper sulfate and asks if it is a compound or an element.
The next class I observed was an AP Chemistry class taught by Dr. Pothier. She was in the classroom before the class began and she was talking with some students who arrived before the bell. As the last students entered the room, she invited them to share their thoughts on the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. She actually had the students begin their practice problems about 10 minutes into the start of the period. They got into groups and worked on answering the question packet.
I really liked how Mrs. Sullivan greeted her students and how Dr. Pothier began class with a discussion about current issues. Greeting the students makes them feel acknowledged, especially in a big school like Coventry High School. A discussion about current issues really gets students talking and also grabs their attention at the start of the lesson. What I would change in Mrs. Sullivan's lesson was the time she took to do the book keeping tasks. It seemed as though she spent more time on trivial things such as parents' signatures on policy handouts than the actual lesson. Once she started her discussion about atoms and molecules, she didn't have the students' interest. They had disengaged themselves in her talking long before the lesson came around. Maybe saving the policy and science fair talk for after the lesson, she could have had more success in keeping the students focused. In Dr. Pothier's class I definitely would have changed the timing as well. I would have left at least 10 minutes at the end of class to bring the students back together and go over the questions and the answers each group chose. This could act as a formative assessment instead of a packet that didn't seem to serve a purpose. Overall, I really enjoyed both of my CT's enthusiasm for their students and for teaching Chemistry. I was impressed with their knowledge of the subject and their knowledge of dealing appropriately with students.
Morris
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lessonFirst actual class observation is for Tuesday 5 October. I stayed from 0700 to 1300 for several classes, one chemistry and two sections of physics. The regular schedule was impacted by NECAP testing so some classes were longer or shorter than normal.
Teacher is at the front usually standing when students arrive, gives them a minute to find seats and gets right to business. He reviews homework, going over the whole assignment of problems, asking if anyone had a problem and needs to see it worked. If so he invites other students to give the solution. This goes pretty quickly.
Students are responsible for keeping their homework, and it is collected and reviewed at intervals. They are reminded that it is worth about a letter on their grade, so it is important to keep it in good order.
The emphasis seemed not on how many got things right or wrong, but on making sure everyone gets it before moving on to new work.
One class had a returned test, and he followed the same procedure. Since there was always someone who had it right, this also went quickly. Here too the emphais is on everyone getting it.
Discipline seems a non-issue; he is a coach for several sports, this turns out to be VERY GOOD because
when he tells the class to turn to page 37 or whatever, they all do it, at once. He expects nothing less, and none of them would dream of doing less.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?October 18, 2010
North Smithfield Middle School
Mrs. Lynn Hannah
Observation
Mrs. Lynn Hannah is the 8th grade team leader, excluding her from a duty and advisory. However, during the every morning advisory lasting from 7:22 to 7:36 Mrs. Hannah is busy preparing for her day. During advisory on Monday, Mrs. Hannah was copying a few students lab reports that were going to be handed back in class later on. She explained to me that the lab reports were horrendous, so she was allowing the students to fix and resubmit their reports in one week under a few guidelines, one being that the original must be turned in. Therefore, she was photo copying a few students work because she knows she would get an excuse of "not giving it back to them" or "I lost it so what do I do now"? When advisory was nearing the end, Mrs. Hannah headed back to the room. As soon as the bell rang for students to change classes, Mrs. Hannah was by the door greeting students on their way in. I actually noticed that every teacher on the team was doing the same. Mrs. Hannah had her eyes in the hallway, but was still aware at all times of the students who had already entered the classroom, making sure they were taking their seats and getting out their notebooks to be ready to start class. The bell rang at 7:40 to begin first period and so did Mrs. Hannah. She wasted no time in getting the kids started in Monday's agenda.
Mrs. Hannah's way to kill two birds with one stone was to take attendance when she called on the students to bring up the weekends homework of "How Much Do I Weigh"? She explained to me that she has the students hand deliver all assignments now to avoid the excuse of "I put it right on your desk Mrs. Hannah, you must have lost it". Mrs. Hannah created a "Missing Homework Slip", that the students must fill out and hand in when their name is called if they do not have the assignment that is due. The slip requires: Name, Due Date, Period, Assignment (Specific), Why is this assignment missing, and What are you going to do to fix the problem? After the homework collection, Mrs. Hannah began the lesson with being relaxed, funny, and making appropriate jokes about the subject matter she was about to bring up. She explained to me before class that most of her students truly do care about their grades, so she was afraid of having some melt downs when the students received their lab reports back. She asked their students their favorite holiday, and right there almost every student starting shouting out, "Christmas! Hanukkah! Thanksgiving! St. Patty's Day!" It was easily noticeable that she had the student's attention at this point. So with the lab reports in hand, before giving them back, she told the students she is giving them an early Christmas/Hanukkah/Thanksgiving present and allowing resubmissions. Because she went about the bad grades in this way, she had the students cooperation and attention during the discussion of what they did wrong/good, what to do in the submission, the deadline, etc. Right from there, Mrs. Hannah began class, being on the "good side" of the students. They were attentive, interested, cooperative, and volunteered tremendously during the volume, mass, and weight activity.
Reflection
Many things jumped out at me while observing Mrs. Hannah's style of teaching. Firstly, I loved how she was greeting students from the hallway as they entered, but still had her head in the classroom managing the behavior of the students. Being in the classroom during this time, I saw how the students would behave without Mrs. Hannah in the room. But as soon as she poked her head around the corner and would simply say "Get your notebooks out, start copying down the daily objectives on the board. I want them done by the bell", students would immediately do as she said. It seemed she always had her classroom under control, but not in a bossy, intolerable way. Another aspect of Mrs. Hannah's teaching style that I liked, and will definitely have in my own classroom one day, were the homework slips. Mrs. Hannah showed me the folder of filled out homework slips from students and they were quite interesting. Yes, some students do not take them seriously and their answers of why their homework missing were quite comical, however, the point is they still had to fill them out. The slips made the students stop and think about their missing assignment and have to fill out, as some students say, an "annoying orange slip". Mrs. Hannah says she does not just do it for the students, but she does it for the parents as well. So when she gets a phone call from a parent saying, "Why does my son/daughter have a 50 in homework", she can go through her folder and take out the missing homework slips for that student and have it to show the parent. Thirdly, I liked how Mrs. Hannah opened her class. She says that the students love to talk about themselves, that is gets their attention and gets them talking as well, so she does things like this quite often. Literally as soon as she asked the students, "So what is your favorite holiday", all of them got excited and starting shouting theirs out. Mrs. Hannah explained to me that she knows it gets noisy when she does it like this, but it gets the students involved and interested in what she has to say, which is why she lets it go for a little bit, then calms them down.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?My CT was required to be out in the hall monitoring the students as they passed from one class to the next, the time alotted for this is 4min. While she was in the hall she would speak with the students both to correct their behavior but also to just say hi. After the final bell it took about 2-3min for class to start. During this time the CT was taking attendence while the students got out their books and settled down. During this particular class no homework was collected. She started the class by asking those students who had not finished the lab from the day before to begin working to finish it. While these students worked on their lab reports, the other students procedded to write down the daily objectives and begin work on 2 review worksheets. While the students were working she was walking around answering questions while also helping those students with their lab reports.
I feel that my CT made the most out of having to be in the halls before class started. She addressed students in a respectful manner and not always just to tell them they were doing something wrong. I think the only thing I would do differently would be to "try" and take attendence as the students entered so that when that bell rang I would be ready to start and also expect my students to be. I also feel that by allowing some of thge students extra time (unless it is specifically needed) is sending the wrong message to students and might lead to more and more students not finishing on time. Also the review worksheets I feel could have been done as honework and then use the class time to go over them. This would allow for more time to address topics that the students might be struggling with and also allow the teacher to become more engaged with the class.
Because Narragansett High School is fairly small, many students do not take the entire passing period to get to class. My CT uses the time in which students come in early to answer any quick questions or briefly engage them in light conversation. He focuses the conversation towards the students and what he knows about each individual, some having to do with a sport or club they are involved in, and others having to do with something else the student must have divulged to him earlier. Because he utilizes this extra time, order was established in his room about two minutes after the final bell rang.
In the particular block period that I observed, the class was starting a lab that they had been introduced to at the end of the previous class. My CT took a few minutes to refresh his students memories on what they were doing and by 5-8 minutes into the class students were settled and doing their work. Because it was important to get the students right into the lab to make sure they had time to do their presentations, he did not check homework until the end of the period. He went around to each student with his grade book and checked the work individually, with answers to be reviewed at the start of the next class.
Overall, I really enjoyed the lab that my teacher created to discuss the law. It went along with my belief that students cannot just memorize formulas, but should be able to apply and analyze them. His tactics in the beginning of the class of engaging students in conversation individually confirmed the opinions I already had on how important it is for teachers to take personal interest in their students’ lives. It is clear that they respect his interest which carries over to the time they spend in his class and is part of why he is able to get his group to settle down so quickly. As far as homework assessment, I will have to see if just checking that it is complete is the norm for the class or just because it was rushed. Remembering my own experiences from high school because there is writing on the page that looks like answers does not always mean that the assignment is complete. I also think that homework should be checked before the start of class because it usually has to do with a previous chapter and if there are questions they need to be answered before moving on to different or more difficult content.
I enjoyed the class that I observed immensely. I found that the time was broken down fairly within the block period, and the lab was extremely well thought out. I look forward to going back and observing more lessons and learn more about the breakdown of class time and room management.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?Observation:
At North Kingstown, I am being given a very unique opportunity: to observe two chemistry teachers with completely opposite teaching styles. Mr. Viner is very laid back while Mrs. Crescenzo is much more strict and structured. I was able to observe the beginning of one of each of their classes while I was at North Kingstown High School on Thursday. Mr. Viner stood at the front of the class while students came in but he was busy organizing his materials. Students filtered in, chatting with each other, moving seats around, and asking to go to the bathroom or to their locker. After about two or three minutes, Mr. Viner begins the class. He asks students to take out a density worksheet that they completed earlier in the week. Since he would be giving the class a test during this period, he took the first twenty minutes to review the worksheet, do a few practice problems, and answer any questions.
Mrs. Crescenzo’s class began quite differently. The students walked in and sat in their assigned seats. As students filtered in, she reminded them to put their homework assignments on her desk. One student asked if he could go to his locker because he brought the wrong book and she firmly said that locker passes were against her beliefs and he would have to share with the person next to him. Once the bell rang, she immediately began her lesson, a new chapter on energy and matter. She started by talking about the Hoover Dam and how it generates electricity and asked the students to share what they know about the dam, electricity, and energy. Next, in order to capture their attention she demonstrated potential energy and kinetic energy using a little toy woodpecker going down a tree.
Reflection: **
After witnessing both classes, it is obvious that Mr. Viner and Mrs. Crescenzo have very different teaching styles and approaches. They are complete opposites from one another, so I think I will be able to learn a lot by watching how each teacher handles situations and how they run their classrooms. Mrs. Crescenzo does not waste any time with checking homework, she just collects it and jumps right into the lesson. Mr. Viner gives the students a little less structured, more laid back start to class. Even though both teachers have different approaches, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the students in both classes were respectful, attentive, and on task as soon their teacher started class. I think this shows that my CTs have established clear classroom expectations and they have gained their students respect very early on in the school year. I like how Mrs. Crescenzo engaged her students by using a real life example of energy and also captured her students’ attention by a very simple demonstration in the front of the class. Mr. Viner did a good job of getting his students ready for the test and getting their brains working in preparation for the test. I think this a better method than just handing students the test when they walk in the door.
Observation:
Before class began, my CT was setting up a projector which she would be using later during the class to show a video of an octopus camouflaging itself as seaweed. She wanted a quick transition between talking about the subject and showing the example and . When the students began to line up at the door during the interchange between classes, the teacher stopped what she was doing and went to the door and greeted them. She told them to come in and addressed the students by name as they walked into the classroom. While they are walking into the classroom, the teacher instructed the students to grab a "science starter". Once most of the students were in the classroom , she reassured them that the science starter would not be counted for credit and that she just wanted them to try the questions about graphing. During last weeks observations, the students took a faux quiz, if the students received a 100 as a grade then the quiz was counted as a real quiz and they did not have to take the "real" quiz during the next class. This is why I assumed she reassured the students this would not be a grade and that she just wanted to know what they knew about the topic. After the students did the "science starter" the teacher discussed the answers with the children. She did not give the students answers but used questioning to guide the students toward the answers.
No homework was collected next. The teacher revisited the topic of evaluating a scientific claim. She introduced the topic by making connections back to a previous in class activity in which they made claims, stated the evidence to support the claim and explained a reason . After she made connections she explained to the students that they were going to be assessed on the evaluation for a claim, and that it was going to be a year goal for everyone to be proficient on the topic. She handed out a rubric and did another in class example using graphical data to make a claim and evaluate it.
Reflection:
My CT got the students right into working as soon as they came into class. She starts every class with a "science starter". I like the use of the "science starter" and would be interested in using a version of that in my classroom. I think it helps to transition the students from another class to science. I like that it requires the students to think critically without being graded. It is also a tool that I could use as a beginning teacher to assess the information the students are retaining for the lessons that are being taught in class. I thought giving the students the oppertunity to not have to take the in-class quiz if they had already received 100 was a great idea. If the students know the information they would not be bored taking a quiz on the same information again and if they did not recieve a 100 they could be motivated to study more in order to not have to take the quiz. The teacher never gave the students the answer when they were discussing and instead used questioning to encourage students to think about and discover the answer. I consider this one of the best methods, but not the only, to guide the student to discovering the answer for themselves. During our in-class conversation of Image of Teaching, we discussed the role of the teacher as a helpful hand in the learning process. I think my CT was exemplifying this concept in her teaching. I would like to be this kid of teacher to my students when I teach. I would like to be a teacher that fosters learning andnot one that just dictates the answers to problems
My CT was practicing for a year long goal that all of the science classes had for their students. The goal is for the students to know how to make a scientific claim. I like that the Ct gave the students a rubric which explained what they wanted the students to know. I thought the rubric was necessary and that the teacher gave the rubric out at a good time. Before they practiced with the assignment. While they did the class assignment the teacher would make reference to the rubric and tell the students what kind of grade they would get for their answers. I liked that the teacher modeled how to use the rubric, and I would like to do this for my students in the future in order to make the expectations that are asked of them are clear.
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
It is difficult to observe yourself but I will do my best to describe what I do at the beginning of each class. The following represents my actions leading up to the beginning of the lesson for a ninth grade Biology class.
Observations:
When the bell rings, I open my door to allow the current class to exit. I then prop open the door with a doorstop and stand far enough away from the door to allow students to enter, yet close enough to see inside the classroom. As students approach I greet them by shaking hands, fist bumping or just saying good morning as they enter. I will also make eye contact and exchange pleasantries with students who are just passing in route to other classes. The hallway usually clears a minute or two before the next bell rings; at that point I will close the door and a take up a position in front of the class.
When the bell rings, I ask the students to find their seats and prepare themselves to begin class. I will stand quietly and look out over the class as the students settle in and when I have their attention I ask them to pass forward their homework assignments. While they shuffle papers I take out my class folder and randomly select three students to return any assignments that I have previously collected and graded. I will give each of the selected students about 1/3 of the returns and tell them to "make some friends" as they return the graded assignments.
Once the paper shuffle is complete I will again ask the students for their attention and begin with a question like "Does anyone have any questions from last night's fifteen minutes of fun?"* Typically, a student will raise a hand and ask for clarification on something that we discussed in class the previous day. The lesson has begun.
Reflections:
Greeting students at the door, sets a welcoming tone for the class and gives me a chance to read faces as students enter the class. I can usually tell if a student needs uplifting or appears troubled, and it gives me a chance to ask if they need help or if we need to resolve a problem before we begin class. Exchanging pleasantries tells students that I am "on their side" and gives them an opportunity to ask me any questions that they my have prior to the initiation of the lesson. The most important piece of this simple activity is that it helps to build relationships and supports the exchange of information on a one to one basis.
The paper shuffle usually takes 3-5 minutes and apparently steals some valuable class time. Perhaps when I become more acquainted with the electronic media I will be able to eliminate some paper and steal time back.
*What I call fifteen minutes of fun refers to a standing homework assignment that asks students to review each day's activities, write down any questions that they may have and bring them to class for clarification. This strategy serves to get some students to spend time reinforcing the lesson and gives me an opportunity to reactivate knowledge on a daily basis. As each class ends, I remind the students to remember their fifteen minutes of fun tonight!
The way my CT begins her class is an effective way to get students on task right away. The CT keeps the students busy throughout the whole class period so they never have a chance to get distracted with something other than science. Every student knows to look at the board as soon as they come in and take out their homework. My CT says that she usually makes the opening activity cooperative. The flashcard quizzing allows the students to get out some energy and talk to each other a bit. Reviewing previous material and activating prior knowledge before starting the lesson helps the CT make sure that all students are on the same page with the material. When she begins explaining the tides, she asks the students what they already know about tides from spending time at the beach. She corrects their misconceptions by having them read from the textbook as a class. She engaged them by relating the material to experiences the students have had.
I met my CT outside of the classroom, where he was standing and monitoring the hallway. Since it was right after lunch, he usually gave students a five-minute window at the beginning of class to use the lavatories or to go to their lockers. When we walked into the classroom, some students were already at their desks with their materials open while other students were socializing around the room. I noticed that today’s objective was posted on the whiteboard along with the homework assignment for tonight and the agenda for today. Also posted up on the smartboard was a “warm-up” assignment that was a review of the previous lesson. Once the students saw that my CT had entered the classroom, they took their seats and my CT asked them if they had their planners out and noticed what was written on the board. As the students copied down the homework assignment and worked on the warm-up, my CT walked around the room to check homework and attendance. After he had finished checking homework, he went over the warm-up activity and called on students to give answers. Because this class has many students with IEPs, there was a special education teacher (who actually happened to be a special ed sub today) in the class who told me that my CT was a really great role model because not many teachers keep students busy with a warm up activity while they check homework.
Reflection
By laying out the goals and plan for the day gives students the opportunity to know exactly what to expect each day, and that’s the main reason why my CT does that. Since the schedule is block periods, the class is really long and students easily get restless, but by having the agenda up on the board, I think it helps ease the length and gives students a plan that they can follow and can anticipate what will happen during the class time. This is a good method that I would like to use as well in my classroom. Another technique that my CT uses to start class off is the use of a warm up activity. While he went around checking homework, he was able to keep students engaged instead of having them sit and waste time. He demonstrated a great way to multitask and used class time appropriately. The start of class provides the pace for the rest of the class, and my CT has shown me some great ways to begin class and get students engaged, and keep them engaged.